Santa 2.0

It is that time of year again we hustle and bustle frantically to prepare for the arrival of Santa. Here is a funny story to highlight how things have changed to what I call Santa version 2.0. This morning before school I was showing my 9 year daughter Sophia a video from Santa on our laptop. What was interesting is that Santa was going through the motions telling her that she was a good girl by looking through her personal book which he retrieved from a shelf holding every child's personal book. She became quite surprised when Santa opened her personal book and there were photos of her on the pages. The video had ended and she looked at me and said, "I wonder how Santa got those pictures…oh I know, he must have Facebook". Needless to say I had a good laugh, and then took time to think about what she had said. The first thing I realized is that technology certainly influences our opinions tremendously. The next thing I realized is that Christmas has been molded and reshaped to fit the times. In reflecting back to when I was a kid and Christmas consisted of Santa bringing me lots of gifts, the town virtually shutting down for Christmas week, and friends and family came together for celebration. I also remember my father telling me at that time that Christmas had changed, as when he was a boy they would get a piece of candy or fruit and maybe a gift or two. There was a larger focus on visiting one another and community spirit.
I guess I will have to accept the fact that my daughter receives video messages from Santa, and that he can take photos from her Facebook account, ha. Technology is a part of Santa 2.0 and it is alive and well in our household and I am sure in many others. However I think I have an obligation to ensure that tradition remains in Christmas. They attend Church regularly and are participating in the services leading up to Christmas which is very important. I also think it's also important that they experience the social aspect of Christmas. It has become more difficult to participate in this ritual as more and more retailers choose to remain open for Christmas holidays. Boxing Day sales are now marketed as a time to consider shopping versus spending time socializing with friends and family. In retrospect, we cannot scratch our heads in wonder on how Santa 2.0 came in existence or talk negatively about it. We have supported the environment that has created it. I have heard myself say that "It's Christmas every day now for kids". So this year, I am going to commit to giving, socializing, and being thankful! I am going to make a valid attempt to not only support some Christmas traditions but possibly create some new ones. Christmas is a wonderful time of year and I want to wish everyone a joyous and spiritual holiday!
I should also remind our members that we are closing Christmas Eve this year. The staff has worked hard all year providing great service to our members; closing Christmas Eve will mean they get to spend more time with their familiesJ
Merry Christmas
Cory